I sent a note out about plowing the Minuteman Bikeway during the winter figuring that many Scout parents are as active as the Scouts in the family.
I got 12 responses. 10 were in favor of plowing. One was opposed to plowing. One suggested plowing half and leaving half for other uses.
Those who favored plowing tended to cite the following reasons:
Safe route to school for some students
Good place to exercise in the winter when the sidewalks are congested and the roads are narrowed by snow and ice
Commuter route in the other three seasons–why not allow it to be used that way in the winter
There are many other places to ski and snowshoe
A day or two after snow has fallen, the bikeway is no longer good for winter sports because many people walk on it even with the snow, so might as well plow and make it useful for more people
The half-and-half idea has come up before, by the way. It was rejected by Arlington and Lexington advocates as inviting accidents on an already narrow bikeway.
The cost of plowing is projected at under $4,000 which is a tiny fraction of the snow removal cost for a winter. Controls would be put in place to keep it from going any higher by capping the number of times it could be plowed, but reserving one last plow after the probable last snow of the season to get the bikeway back in shape faster after that last storm.
This summer I happened to be in Stowe, VT where there is a similar bike trail. Part of the pitch for that trail when it was created was that it would be a bike trail in the summer and the centerpiece for recreational skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
It has been pointed out that money spent to plow our bikeway might be better spent on bikeway maintenance. It is obvious that our bikeway is more than due for some serious maintenance. Most bikeway maintenance, by the way, is done by volunteers via the Bicycle Advisory Committee or the Friends of the Lexington Bikeway. FOLB is always on the lookout for donations so if you have any spare cash … A good place to find out about the bikeway and those who support it can be found at http://www.hbingham.com/lexbike/index.htm
You will find that many bikeway supporters are active in other outdoor organizations and have been effective in working with the state and town. All those new bike racks in town, for instance, arrived free via a grant from the state and some hard work by volunteers.
No decision has yet been reached on the plowing.
Thanks to all who responded.
-Hank